Pip John – "Dante's Riddle"

Just when we thought we were bored of smoky pads and pitch-shifted samples, Pip John came along and wiped our slate clean. A classically trained opera singer by day, Oliver Sewell uses his alter ego to strain the human voice through a warm electronic mesh. The New Zealand producer's new single on Bad Panda Records simmers at a controlled tempo, letting its minimal elements swell and churn weightlessly. "Dante's Riddle" serves as living proof that an uncluttered palette of sound can be just as gripping as a busy one. Effortlessly fluorescent, the track doesn't shy away from its own prettiness, finally flushing away any tension with the release it makes you beg for in its first minutes. This is music that bubbles just under the skin; this is something special.